Long range killer: Behind the scenes of Accuracy International

This article was taken from the September 2011 issue of
Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print
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Along with the US Army Special Forces of Delta Force, the SEALs have expedited most of the "kinetic", or proactively
lethal, antiterrorist operations in Washington's war on terror,
operating recently in Afghanistan,
Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan. The weaponry they employ is crucial to
operational success. So when, in 2007, the unit went looking for an
alternative to the Barrett weapons system it already used -- an
ultra-high-calibre rifle capable of firing 0.50-inch cartridges at
distances beyond 1,200m -- it talked to the best weapons
manufacturers across the globe. Eventually it got in touch with a
small company with 50 employees, who, it had heard, could make a
weapon suitable for its tactical and operational demands.

It didn't buy American; it skirted around the excellence of
German and Scandinavian weapons design; and,
unsurprisingly, it didn't call the Russians. It went British. It
approached an enterprise that embodies a high-tech, designfocused
approach, blending traditional UK engineering with the latest
technological innovation.

The Portsmouth-based company, Accuracy International
(AI), equips the British Special Boat Service (SBS) and Special
Air Service (SAS) with sniper rifles. In 2008, it signed a £3.7
million contract to supply almost 600 sniper weapons to the UK
Ministry of Defence. What came out of the SEALs' approach to AI was
a new gun.

"The fact that such a small company can be a world-beater in the
manufacture of quality weapon systems in a market dominated by huge
American and European companies is a huge achievement," says Colour
Sergeant Lee Chevenix, a British Army sniping-team instructor. "I
know from first-hand experience how revered the AI product is, even
in the States, where traditionally US producers are favoured."

AI's weapons are now part of long-range sniping lore. Craig
Harrison, a British Army sniper from the Household Cavalry, hit two
Taliban
machine-gunners with two consecutive shots at a range of 2,475
metres in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in 2009. Inadvertently he
had taken the world sniping record using an L115A3, the 0.338-inch
calibre military sniper-rifle system made by AI that is now
standard issue for the British Army.

"We saw two insurgents running through a courtyard," Harrison
said in interviews. "They came forward carrying a PKM [a general
purpose Russian machine gun], set it up and opened
fire...Conditions were perfect, no wind, clear visibility. I rested
the bipod of my weapon on a compound wall and aimed for the gunner
firing the machine gun. The driver of my Jackal [patrol vehicle]
spotted for me, providing all the information needed for the shot,
which was at the extreme range of the weapon."

Harrison killed one machine-gunner with his first attempt and
hit the other with the next. He then let off a final round to knock
the enemy weapon out of action. His gun was the same as the one
used by Black Watch corporal Christopher Reynolds, who killed a
Taliban commander at a range of 1,853m. According
to the book Dead Men Risen by Toby Harnden, in 2009
another AI rifle, the L96A1, was used by two snipers from 4th
Battalion, The Rifles (formerly the Greenjackets), part of the
Welsh Guards battlegroup, to make 75 confirmed Taliban kills in 40
days. In one instance, two human targets were killed with a single
bullet.

Comments

Wired, are you a mouthpiece for the $3 trillion farce that is the Moron Terror? How would you like an occupying force to bring their glistening proto-weapons to your town and refine their kill harmonics on you? How pithy the metaphor of an article about distance-killing when hoisted next to your obvious applause for immoral gadgets. I'm removing you from my RSS feed due to this death-glamour streak of feculence and telling others where your shameful sentiments lie. You were meant for better things.

Skullrhythm

Aug 19th 2011

In reply to Skullrhythm

Sheesh, what a "guilt merchant". It's judgemental BS sentiments like yours that seek to condemn in the name of political correctness,Go ahead, cull your RSS feeds, no-one gives a damn!

MirrorMirror

Dec 5th 2012

How about some images showing what happens when these sterling pieces of innovation are put use then? Lets us all see what the end product of all this fantastic work isAlso:"An MOD purchase order tends to mean that a product has proved its value".I'm sorry this is just tosh. Shame on you Alice Vincent for this nasty piece of Arms industry PR churnalism

Bluey

Aug 26th 2011

In reply to Bluey

Alice did not write this story. It was written by Christian Jennings.

Nate Lanxon

Aug 26th 2011

How about some images showing what happens when these sterling pieces of innovation are put use then? Lets us all see what the end product of all this fantastic work isAlso:"An MOD purchase order tends to mean that a product has proved its value".I'm sorry this is just tosh. Shame on you Alice Vincent for this nasty piece of Arms industry PR churnalism

Bluey

Aug 26th 2011

In reply to Bluey

You must understand there are evil people in this world motivated by blood and faith willing to kill and die for their radical and violent ideology. Their views cannot be changed to mirror ours with reason or negotiation. They will acquire the weapons and technology to kill "non-believers.". We must develop the weapons and technology to keep ahead of or on par with the bad guys. Like it or not, this is the reality of the world in which we live.

John

Aug 27th 2011

@Nate Lanxon Apologies to Alice, Please allow me to redirect my indignation in Christian Jennings' direction. I think the article info has been amended since I posted (although dont expect too many believers on that front!)@JohnSome sympathy with that perspective, although I think once a technology like this is developed it is only a matter of time before it is used on civilians or our own troops. What I object to is the complete lack of any ethical discussion on an article concerning technologies of death. That and the blatant mistruths about MOD value in arms procurements - Typhoon aircraft anyone? What I

Bluey

Sep 1st 2011

Works of art to take out an ENEMY that has clear intentions of trying to wipe out us non believers. Its not rocket science folks its war plain and simple. If we dont take the fight to them it will be in your back yards, train stations, local buses and airports. Might as well be done from a safe distance with one shot.

Gixer

Nov 1st 2011

You might re-check the identity of the above pictures. The AX308 fires a .308 Winchester round. The AX338 rifle is chambered for (naturally) the .338 Lapua. The magazine on the upper rifle is almost twice the size of the one on the bottom. The Finnish round quoted, Lapua .388 cal (8.6x70mm or 8.58x70mm) or the .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) is a lot smaller than the .50BMG with a 99mm case. The number before the x is the width of the bullet. The number after the x is the length of the brass case. Kudos for not falling into the usual journalist default of calling it an uzi.

Justin

Nov 19th 2011

is that Hebrew or Arabic on the para snipers arm

Staff sargent 2nd pwrr machine gunner

Jun 7th 2012

About your "photo gallery": The rifle shown on top looks a lot like a Barrett .50, definitely not chambered in .308 Win.

Ray

Aug 12th 2012

The one at the top is an AX50 (in .50 cal) and the one underneath is the AX338...